Tag: unicorn

A Posh Neighbourhood

Chris Hall42 Comments

© Ayr/Gray

‘Hey, look at this place, it’s very posh.’
‘I don’t think we have been here, have we?’
‘Definitely not.’
‘Still we can mosey around, since it’s the holidays.’

The two boys walked around one of the cul-de-sacs.

‘Oh, look at this. It’s a lovely large chameleon right next to the wall.’
‘It’s not real.’
‘No, but it’s very cute.’
‘That wall is pretty tall, and it goes all around the house and the garden I suppose.’
‘I bet it’s really nice.’
‘Do you think we would be able to go inside?’
‘Shall we find out?’

The two boys knocked on the door and rang the bell.
And waited.

‘No answer.’
‘Try again.’
‘Okay. ‘

‘No reply.’
‘Maybe we can climb up, and over?’
‘Shall we try?’
‘Hmm, don’t think so – bound to be court.’
‘Yip, you’re right.’

They stared for a bit.
‘Did we try the handle on the door?’
They tried, both of them; but no luck.
However, they saw something.

And if you look very closely, beneath the handle, you can see a tiny unicorn.🦄

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Posted for The Unicorn Challenge, a magical challenge hosted by Jenne Gray and C E Ayr, where they provide a photo and we, in turn, provide up to 250 words.

Carousel

Chris Hall47 Comments

© Ayr/Gray

‘Oh gosh… look up. There’s something very wrong up there.’
The two boys stared for a bit, and then they walked around the carousel.
‘That’s what she has lost, and it’s a terrible shame, don’t you think?’
‘It was so windy and wet, the rain had been pouring all night.’
‘It was very dark and there was a great storm lashing around, remember?’
They continued to look up.
‘She isn’t afraid though, despite what happened. She is still proud and she holds her head up high.’

The two boys walked around again.
‘I wonder what happened though? I mean, she’s still a horse, but…’
‘Shall we have a look?

They tried looking around the various rides, but they had no luck.
‘Oh well, at least the sun is shining now.’
‘And we can take our cagoules off.’

They look at each other.
‘Just before we go, let’s look up once again.’
‘She’s still handsome, being a horse, but really she’s a unicorn, isn’t she?‘
‘And maybe she still has some magical powers, don’t you think?

‘Okay, time to sing now, and we will show our true colours.’
‘That’s right, we’re red!’

Posted for The Unicorn Challenge, a magical challenge hosted by Jenne Gray and C E Ayr, where they provide a photo and we, in turn, provide up to 250 words.

PS – it’s football – and it’s Liverpool (where we used to stay)

And also a song from Carousel – a musical hit!

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark

At the end of a storm
There’s a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark

Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
For your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone

You’ll never walk alone

Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone

You’ll never walk alone

Songwriters: Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers

This Tree

Chris Hall34 Comments

© Ayr/Gray

Come on, let’s go and see this great big tree. It’s very old, as well. Well, so they said.
Okay, it’s probably fun. But who said that?
Does it matter?
Well, I guess not.

A little later...

Wow, it’s so tall, and wide. Let’s walk around.
Ooh, we can peer inside.
More than just peer, we can get in it.
Should we do that? I mean, is it safe?
It will be fine. Come on, don’t be a wimp!
Okay, I’ll come.

And then they both jumped together.

Oh, that’s odd.
What do you mean, odd.
Well… it looks bigger inside than it did before.
It’s bigger inside than outside?
You mean…
Look up there.
Oh.
Oh.

They looked at each other, and then they looked up again.

It’s a…

.

.

.

.

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Posted for The Unicorn Challenge, a magical challenge hosted by Jenne Gray and C E Ayr, where they provide a photo and we, in turn, provide up to 250 words.

What do you call it?

Chris Hall42 Comments

© Ayr/Gray

I enter the room, not much there
I see a broom… or maybe, call it a brush?

I would much rather have an easel here

I’ll use a big, big brush to paint
and using many colours

and of course
it’ll be totally abstract!

my husband – the artist

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Posted for The Unicorn Challenge, a magical challenge hosted by Jenne Gray and C E Ayr, where they provide a photo and we, in turn, provide up to 250 words.

This Vista

Chris Hall50 Comments

© Ayr/Gray

two weeks
in a lovely villa
pristine and beautiful

a poem, maybe
or perhaps a very short story

meanwhile, I’m going down
to get some shopping
and writing a couple of postcards

back up now
heave and strain

I’ll be so fit
by then

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Posted for The Unicorn Challenge, a magical challenge hosted by Jenne Gray and C E Ayr, where they provide a photo and we, in turn, provide up to 250 words.

Shipping Forecast

Chris Hall41 Comments

© Ayr/Gray

How many years have we been playing?
Oh yeah, lots of years.
We’ve almost finished all the paper from our Xerox box.
Yep, that’s right, all those scores that we’ve scored!
Okay, who wants to start?
Hmm, see, I’ve got a ‘phone’. I’ll put it from the middle to the top – that’s 13. You.
Oh bother! I don’t usually show you this but I am so cross. I would add ‘phone’ to ‘xylo’ to make ‘xylophone’ but there is not room.
Is ‘xylo’ a word?
Not sure, but I’m not going to use that at the moment. Hmm, muttering to myself, not putting that yet (it’s yeti), nor even ‘xyst’, which I also have – a new word a couple of weeks ago, but I will just do this: ‘heist’ – that’s 12.

Later, it’s almost one o’clock, and we have finished our game.

You need to get back, but just before we will listen to the radio. We always tune in to the BBC 4 longwave.
Okay?
There will be a very bad storm, possibly even a gale.
Time to run!

545 score – 25.01.25
our real score

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Posted for The Unicorn Challenge, a magical challenge hosted by Jenne Gray and C E Ayr, where they provide a photo and we, in turn, provide up to 250 words.

Di of Pensitivity 101 – Saturday Three Things Challenge: XEROX, XYLOPHONE, XYST and Sunday Three Things Challenge: YEAR, YETI, YEAH

Are we playing?

Chris Hall50 Comments

© Ayr/Gray

previously

The four vampires – Joan, Francis, Scatty and the Old One, the two gargoyles plus the red-head woman had been having a whale of a time for several weeks in that wonderful chateau, although some of them were becoming rather restless.

Georges, the manager, was also becoming a little fraught; he had been walking around the market earlier, where he happened to look up and who did he see, these two gargoyles were watching the game of boules just behind the high wall next to the chateau: I admit this crowd are more than weird, they are completely loopy but what can I do? (he thought).

Francis were still very happy reading all those beautiful books in the library, but he was not alone; Joan had read ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens and it was the second time too, but this time she felt it was less interesting and she read it half-heartedly now; instead she was looking out from the window, daydreaming about something else.

The Old One had been wondering what to do next – another movie or maybe Joan, or even the red head woman, could play Scrabble with me.

But the red-head woman had other plans.

Scatty had joined the two gargoyles on the tall wall; she watched the game for a bit, ‘boules, I can watch or not, not my favourite though, but look at this… admission is just 10 euros, shall we go?’ – the two gargoyles started to grin, ‘why not?’

next episode

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Posted for The Unicorn Challenge, a magical challenge hosted by Jenne Gray and C E Ayr, where they provide a photo and we, in turn, provide up to 250 words.

Di of Pensitivity 101 – Thursday’s Three Things Challenge: ALONE, HALF-HEARTED, DAYDREAM

Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge
Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: ADMISSION

More #SixSentenceStories

Slowly down

Chris Hall70 Comments

© Ayr/Gray

Slowly going down
it’s rather steep
you’re whispering but you’re alone
and no one saw you there.

Your hanging onto the rail
on the right side
you’re holding your stick
and you’re doing well.

You sit down
removing your socks
and your sandals
putting them neatly.

Now you’re standing up
here’s the beach
here’s the sea
isn’t it perfect?

You’re starting to walk
down and out – bracing
you’re keeping going
and never coming back.

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Posted for The Unicorn Challenge, a magical challenge hosted by Jenne Gray and C E Ayr, where they provide a photo and we, in turn, provide up to 250 words.

The Unicorn Challenge-08/11/24

What’s inside?

Chris Hall54 Comments

© Ayr/Gray

Everyone was out. The father, the mother and the two children were busy going to the shops.

Meanwhile, there was something moving slowly inside. It slithered down and writhed around the house. People craned outside, looking at the house.

A little later the father, mother and the two children came home, wondering who was looking in their window. ‘Please go away,’ said the father.

But what had happened?

They heard a noise as they opened the door, but none of them were worried.

‘Oh, there he is. Look!’
‘He managed to get out.’
The two children carefully picked him up.

‘Come, Henry, back in the tank.’
It was only the huge and lovely snake. He’s a beautiful boa.

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The Unicorn Challenge-20/09/24
Three Things Challenge #M825

The Beautiful Game?

Chris Hall45 Comments

© Ayr/Gray

She’s put out the snacks and brought his beer, chilled, in his special glass (one of them). More beers are in the fridge; she has a pie ready to warm for half-time – steak and kidney – his preferred.

Pre-match build up: pundits pontificate; re-runs, highlights, triumphs and near misses. There is success and then there is shame. Which will it be today? National Pride is at stake, for this is the World Cup.

As she sits, small and submissive on the far end of the couch, she plays a different commentary in her head. Missed penalties, own goals, bad decisions by the ref. The repercussions: cuts and bruises (hers); failure on the field reflected in domestic disappointment.

Predictions are favourable. The odds of a positive outcome are weighed in favour. She weighs up her own odds: win or draw 20 per cent, lose 50 per cent (the chances of a beating).

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Posted for The Unicorn Challenge, a magical challenge hosted by Jenne Gray and C E Ayr, where they provide a photo and we, in turn, provide up to 250 words.